The three Andreas sisters have returned home for various reasons- Rose, the oldest, is running from the chance of having to change her boring life for love; Bean, the middle sister, is running home with her tail between her legs after having been fired from her New York City life (yes, life); and the little sister, Cordy, is increasingly uncomfortable with her nomad backpacking life. They have the excuse of needing to help with their sick mother, but in reality none of them are really there for their mom.
I did not particularly like this book. I disliked two of the sisters immensely and thought the redemption of one of them way more than she deserved. The endless Shakespeare quotes from their Shakespeare professor father were annoying and often irrelevant. The strange narration of all three sisters speaking in one voice constantly threw me out of the story. There were a few small parts that I did love- the sisters love of reading, Father Aidan, the retired librarian- but overall I just wanted to be done. I can't say that I'd recommend this one to many people, but have definitely read glowing reviews of it, which is why I requested it. If you'd like to see what other people are saying, follow this link to the BlogHer Book Club page and join in the discussion here. Oddly, I'm more interested in the discussion than I would have been had I enjoyed the book. It's like they say, mixed reactions make the best discussions!
Disclosure: This book was provided to me as part of the BlogHer Book Club and I was paid a small amount for the review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own (obviously).
It's actually really refreshing to read a review by someone who didn't enjoy this book! I definitely enjoyed parts of it, and had no problem reading it quickly, but I had a LOT of criticism for it. Which sister did you think received more redemption than she deserved? If I had to guess I would say Bianca.
ReplyDeleteI have had this book out from the library a couple times, but then not actually read it. I really need to do better!
ReplyDeleteSharayah, definitely Bianca! That bit with Edward? Everyone should eventually be forgiven, but it seemed so easy and fast for her.
ReplyDeleteSorry to see you didn't love it. I hope to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I had read a lot of positive reviews for this book as well, but I'm not sure the book is for me after reading your review. I'm glad that you are enjoying the discussion though :)
ReplyDeleteHa, I love the "obviously" in your disclaimer.
ReplyDeleteI felt connected to the characters from the beginning. I'm usually drawn to books that are about readers or writers or authors so this one was right up my alley. I related to the three sisters' love of reading and how they lost themselves in a good book and enjoyed the sad stories of each and how they managed to overcome and succeed in a better life. The three sisters had different outlooks on life, three different attitudes and differed in their opinions on every debatable subject which made it interesting and real. Their mother needed them in a crisis of battling breast cancer so they all moved home where they bonded and learned much and shared memories in the loving flashbacks. This is a heartwarming story about love, family, lessons we all learn in life and bonding.
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